Tumbler switch



Nov. 10, 1925- 1,561,303

' H. G. BAXTER TUMBLER SWITCH Oiiginal Filed Jan. 8, 1921 AT {SEN EYPatented N QFFICE.

:riaaotn a. BAXT ER, or BALDWIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSE ELEC-ritrc a ANUrAoTUaING COMPANY, A CORPORA ION or PENNSYLVANIA. I

TUMBLER SWITCH.

Original application filed January 8, 1921', Serial No. 435,829. Dividedand this application filed November 15, 1924. Serial No. 750,122.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD G. BAXTER,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, and

a resident of Baldwin, Long Island,-in the county of Nassau and State ofNew York,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tumbler Switches, of whichthe 1 following is a specification, this application being a division ofmy application Serial No. 435,829, filed. Jan. 8, 1921.,

My invent-ion relates to electric switches and particularly to tumblerswitches of the snap type.

One object of my invention is to provide a snap switch of the tumblertype wherein theswitch is caused to move to open or closed position witha snap action resulting from a-minimum movement of the operating-handle. v 29 Another object of my invention is to pro- 1 vide a snapswitch having the above-noted characteristics wherein a minimum numberof parts .are required and wherein the parts are inexpensive tomanufacture and may be readily assembled.

These and other objectsthat will be made apparent throughout the furtherdescription of my invention, are attained by means of a'switchconstruction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side view, partially in elevation andpartially in section, of a switch embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is. a view taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view; and

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view, showing some of the movable parts more indetail.

The switch is adapted to make and break connection between stationary.contact members 6 and 7 and consists of a pair of mov- Me olades 8. Theblades 8 are secured to a pair of blade carriers 9 by means of insulating member 10.

The carriers 9 are secured to a shaft 11 which is rectangular incross-section. The shaft extends through a pair of holes in the sides of.a frame member 12 of U-shape members of the frame member 12, isprovided with legends indicating Whether the switch is in open positionor in closed position and these legends are alternately covered anduncovered as the grip member is oscillated from one position to another,as indicated in Fig. 3.

Each of the blade carriers 9 is provided on its upper side with a pairof projections orlugs 18, and the lower end of the operating lever 13 isadapted to engage the lugs, as the lever is oscillated about the pivots14 and 15, to impart positive movement to the blade carriers 9.

.An eye bolt or spring-guide member 21 hasfone end pivoted to a shaft 19carried by the" lever 13, and which extends through clearance slots 20provided in the frame 12. The ends of the slots 20 serve to limit themovement of the operating lever 13. Theother end of the bolt extendsthrough a hole 22 of a bracket member 23. and 'a compression spring 24is supported by the bolt and has its opposite ends in engagement withthe bolt head and the bracket 23, respectively, in order to maintain aconstant pressure on said bracket.

The bracket 23 is secured to the shaft 11 and has a. projection 23aadapted to ngage a pair of inturned lugs 25 on the frame 12 which serveto limit the movement of the bracket 23.

respect to the shaft, and the bracket 23 also being nonrotatable withrespect to the shaft, the rotative movement is transmitted to thebracket 23, thereby carrying it from the po-. sition at the left of avertical line through the shaft 11 to a position at the right thereofwhile, at the same time, the shaft 19 is carried to the right of avertical line through the shaft 11. This changes the direction of forceexerted by the spring 24 and causes such springto snap the blades to c:"ipletely.

open position.

To return the blades to closed position,

v the action just described is reversed, the

spring serving, in each instance, to complete the movement of the bladesby a snap action, thus effecting a quick make and break action andminimizing thetendency of the blades and the stationary contacts to formarcs.v

Various modifications may be made in the construction without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, as described in the accompanyingclaims.

I claim as'my invention:

1. In a snap switch, a frame, a switch member pivoted thereto, anoperating lever, and a rodand spring connecting said lever and saidmember, said member having two projections and said lever having aprojection with a lost-motion connection with the projections on saidswitch member.

2.'In an electric switch, the combination with'a frame, of a pair ofmovable contact members, carriers for the contact members, a shaftpivoted in the frame and secured to the carriers, a bracket secured tothe shaft, an operating lever pivoted to the frame, and a compressionspring having one of its ends secured to the operating lever and itsother end abut-ting against the bracket, and means whereby movement ofthe operating lever shifts the position of the lower and upper ends ofthe spring to change the direction of pressure exerted on the bracket.

3. In an electric switch, a frame, a pair of movable contact members,carriers for the contact members, a shaft pivoted in the frame andsecured to the carriers, a'bracket secured to the shaft, an operatinglever pivoted in the frame, and a compression spring having one of itsends secured to the opera-ting lever and its other end abutting againstthe bracket, and means for imparting movement to the bracket to changethe relative angular position thereof with respect to the spring. I

4. In an electric switch, a frame, a movable contact member, a carriertherefor, a shaft pivoted in the frame and secured to the carrier, abracket secured to the shaft, a spring guide having one end thereofpivoted to the operating handle and its other end in lost-motionengagement with the bracket, and a spring'carried by the guide andnormally exerting a yielding force on the bracket to maintain it in oneof its extreme positions, of means for shifting the point of engagementbetween the spring-guide and the bracket.

5. In an electric switch, a. frame, a shaft.

pivotally supported thereon, a movable contact member carried by theshaft, an operating lever pivoted on the frame, and a spring having oneend suppoited by the a bracket that is secured to the shaft and normallyexerting tension on said bracket to maintain it in either of two extremepositions of movement, of means whereby movement of the operating leverimparts positive movement to the blades and alters the direction oftension exerted by the spring on the bracket, means limiting the rangeof movement of the operating'lever, and means 1imiting the movement ofthe said bracket.

6. In an electric switch, a frame, a movable contactmember, a carrierfor the contact-member, a shaft pivoted in the frame and secured to thecarrier, a bracket secured to the shaft, an operating lever pivoted tothe frame, and a compression spring having one of its ends secured tothe operating lever and its other end abutting against the braclo et,and means whereby movement of the operating lever shifts the position ofthe lower and upper end of the spring to change the direction ofpressure exerted by the bracket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th dayof October, 1924. HAROLD G. BAXTER.

operating lever and the other end engaging

